In the merchandising of bathtub surround kits and other wall panels, it is desired to package the kit or panel into the smallest possible container for ease of handling, for transportation in today's smaller cars, and to lessen the requisite store inventory and display space per kit.
In a bathtub surround kit, it is necessary to cover a wall area extending length-wise of the tub which is about the length of the tub, i.e. a minimum of 54 inches. Various schemes, e.g. complex elongated corner pieces overlapping a wide center panel, have been proposed in the prior art to minimize the kit package size. The limiting package size factor is the width of the central panel, i.e. at least 30 inches.
Other proposals have included multiple panels of less width and which are joined along their vertical, abutting edges by a separate joining extrusion element. However, where the center panel is decorated with a pattern, e.g. an overall marble pattern or an overall scenic pattern which extends across the joint, any such extrusion element interrupts the pattern.
The use of individual panels of less width requires precise registry of the panel sections to preserve the pattern. Such precise registry is practically impossible to maintain in mass produced, intermingled panel sheets which are then installed by relatively unskilled, do-it-yourself homeowners. As a result, all such suggested prior art center panels have been unsatisfactory, from either an aesthetic standpoint or from a packaging and sales standpoint.